"The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power."
-Alexander Hamilton

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

An Egyptian convicted of murder in absentia in his home country was released from federal custody after a judge ruled he had legitimate reasons to fear being tortured if deported.

Sameh S. Khouzam, 38, called his release after seven months "the best thing in the world. I'm blessed with all the love and support of the good people around me," the York Daily Record reported.

Despite his release Tuesday from York County Prison, Khouzam must still wear a monitoring device on his ankle. A spokesman for the Justice Department said officials had not decided whether to appeal his release.

Khouzam has argued he will be tortured for his religious beliefs as a Coptic Christian if he is deported to Egypt, which is predominantly Muslim. He also denies the allegations that he killed a woman and then fled to the United States a decade ago.